Fatal Attractions
by Shelby Chace
Summary: Chapter two from "First Encounters". Altair and Maria's new and hateful relationship hints at their attraction toward one another as Altair drags her to Damascus for another Templar target.


The pale blue light of early dawn shed some radiance into the Assassin bureau. All was silent as Malik slept despondently in the back room and the woman lay unconscious upon the settee. Altair stood before the counter running his short blade against a rock as the ringing sound awakened her.

Maria Thorpe opened her brilliant cerulean eyes and noticed the silver chain around her right wrist had been reattached. She bit her lip and sighed as she glared at the figure in the archway. He stood there with a strenuous scowl plastered upon his face as he sharpened his favorite weapon and she suddenly realized he was completely nude. His entire body was built with lean attractive muscle as scars, fresh and old, lined every inch of him, which she took note of. The portion of the Assassin she found to be quite amusing was the size of his member, she had never seen one so large and definitely, Robert stood in no comparison. He also had wavy chocolate-brown hair, which fell a few inches above his broad shoulders and seemed to feather away from his face as if he was moving at a great momentum. He obviously did not know of her awakening or could care less.

Altair discontinued his sharpening and laid the dagger down upon the wood as he gazed over at her. "We will be leaving soon." He mumbled, as she now knew he truly was not bothered by the fact of his nakedness before her.

She sneered at him. "We?" Attempting to glare at only his face, but that proved to be rather difficult.

"Of course." he replied then wandered farther into the room and out of view as she caught a glimpse of a dark tattoo printed into the flesh of his left shoulder blade. The symbol resembled those stitched into the Assassin flags hung from the bureau walls. She furrowed her brow as he reappeared within a few moments, completely dressed amid his armor and weapons as well. He pulled the white hood over his head as she now recalled the battle she fought against him the day before. He slid the dagger into its holster at his back, tightened the lace of his forearm weapon, and adjusted his fingerless leather gloves with metal plating at the knuckles.

"Where to?" She snapped as he ignored her. "Hello! I'm talking to you!" She shouted as he glared over at her. "Will you at least let me go to the bathroom?"

The Assassin groaned and allowed her to enter the bath. She tied her long wavy golden hair up and fixed her face before she wandered back out into the main building where he stood impatiently.

"Take off that cape." He ordered as her head snapped up.

"No." She retorted and placed her hands upon her womanly hips.

He cocked his head to the side with a sneer of annoyance. "Do as you're told, woman."

This command set her off. "What? Who are you to tell me what to do? You don't own me! Do you even know who I am?" She hissed as he stomped over to her, his thick boots clomping upon the stone floor, and took hold of her elbow like a child, bringing his face close to hers.

"You are my prisoner and you will do as I command!" He snapped and threw her down upon the couch.

She growled at him with a forced breath. "Bastard! I hope you die along with all your bloody kind!" she screamed, venom dripping off her spiteful words, as he raised his arm to backhand her. She turned her head with eyes squeezed shut, wincing.

"Consider that a warning, Highness." He retorted through his teeth.

She glared up at him with pursed lips. "Pig."

He roughly grasped her arm again and yanked her up as she whined. Then the Assassin cruelly tore her gray imposter cape off and chain mail at her arms. All she wore now were torn Templar robes, leather high-heeled boots and a leather belt at her waist. The top of her head only met just beneath his jaw as he glared down at her with penetrating eyes of bronze supremacy.

As he stripped her, she jammed her fists against his chest and shrieked foul words at him. He finished then grasped her left arm viciously and dragged her out the door and into the dim streets of quiescent Jerusalem. The sun had yet to rise as men strode about the avenues suffocating flames from street torches.

She was near tears as he wrenched her out of the unguarded city gates as few merchants set up their stands for the busy, blistering day to come. His black steed was still waiting near slabs of dirtied water and hay where he had tied the animal up prior. Altair finally released her for a mere second and tightened the saddle upon the horse. Maria glanced about then back at the preoccupied Assassin and made a run for it.

She darted off as fast as she could as early risen citizens eyed her peculiarly. She glanced over her shoulder and saw he was gaining on her. She cried out as he took hold of her once again and spun her around contemptibly. "LET ME GO!" she howled and struggled against him then tripped over a stone as they both fell to the dry dust below. It must have appeared to be comical, as citizens watched from afar, grinning.

The Templar woman still struggled against him screaming as he kneeled on her legs and restrained her arms down by pinning them at the wrists with both of his hands. He now held her constricted and vulnerable upon the cool sand in such a position as if he were to rape her. "STOP!" he roared as she moaned beneath him as sudden tears streamed down her cheeks. She shook her head violently and arched her back.

"Just let me go, please!" She sobbed.

He got off her then yanked her up again by the arm and attempted to drag her back over to the ebony horse as she yelped in pain and struggled against him, slapping his arm. He gritted his teeth and suddenly scooped her up and threw her over his right shoulder, holding on to her thighs as he then strode over to the animal. Maria screeched and pounded her fists against his back and kicked her legs. She gazed toward the citizens powerlessly and as a last resort yelled at them. "Help!" She cried. "He is keeping me hostage! He's an…" he threw her off his shoulder as she hit the ground with a plop then he jerked her back up by the elbow and brought her close to him as her breasts jammed into his hard chest.

"Stop it!" He growled through his teeth. "This is not a game!"

She glared at him through her tears. "You won't get away with this, Assassin! Robert will come for me and he will have your head on a pike!"

He ignored this threat and produced a rope and tied her hands together tightly as she sobbed, then threw her up on the animal. Before she could attempt to leap off he positioned himself behind her and took hold of the reins. With a crack of the reins and a shout, he sent the animal into a canter up the hill. She could feel his muscular torso press against her and she absolutely loathed him.

As they road on she had no choice and leaned against him as her stomach muscles ached from attempting to keep her back from touching him. She could feel his inner thighs press against her outer thighs as her hair began to fall from the done-up position is wisps.

"Where are we going anyway?" She asked, shattering the silence between them as he pressed the horse on throughout Kingdom.

Altair did not respond for a while, nor did he wish to. "Damascus." He finally retorted. He could smell her sweet perfume radiating off her pretty, little frame as the soft wisps of her hair brushed against his face.

"Why?" She asked tentatively, but he never replied and kicked the animal in the sides. They would arrive soon and he would at least be rid of her for a few hours.

Damascus still stood immense with its great sandy stone walls as the dessert heat of the blistering sun gleamed against the city with magnificence. The crescent moon and single star flags hung motionless in the drowning humidity as he pulled his mare to a halt and swiftly leapt off then tied the animal up. Maria squinted up at the large walls with a hand shielding her eyes. He strode to the side of the horse and extended his arms out for her. She merely glared down at him and managed to fall off the animal herself. When she was upon the ground, he slit open the rope off her sore wrists.

"It's so hot." She complained as he glared at her from beneath the white hood, his golden eyes glowing.

"You dare not run off again if you know what's good for you." He snapped and took hold of her elbow and led her toward the gates. She was too busy sightseeing to struggle with him. The city was much more attractive than she had imagined, but it was horridly hot. Even the air she breathed was drenched with humidity, she noticed as he dragged her along and through the unguarded entrance; noon had already murdered the dawn.

"You're hurting me." She snapped and wriggled her arm. He loosened his grip slightly as citizens eyed her as if they had never seen a Caucasian before. She was sweating by the time he found the bureau. Maria found herself examining him as they strode through the avenues of vibrant palms and buzzing bazaars.

His white attire gleamed in the sun's rays, the slit robes and hanging crimson cloth waving charmingly about his lower half, as the clanking of the weapons at his left thigh shimmered as the light hit them. His leather armor gave off a certain brilliance as well in the harsh light. He was tall with broad shoulders and narrow hips and she did notice glances upon him as well. It seemed he truly did not care and twisted the doorknob, dragging her into the building. It was much cooler within and stunk of incense.

Altair whipped her down upon the settee as she glared up at him. "_OW_!" She groaned as she noticed a man behind a counter staring at her wide-eyed. He had a sweet face with mocha skin, a dark beard and a sarcastic grin.

"Well, Master …" he cleared his throat and gazed at the man in white before the counter, which had his back to her. "Having some _fun _recently?" He scoffed.

She gasped and furrowed her brow as the Assassin glanced back at her over his shoulder. "None the least." He replied and pulled his hood back as the rafik chucked. "I've come for a man named Abu'l Nuqaud. What can you tell me about him?"

"You will kill him?" Maria cried from the settee where he had thrown her.

Altair sighed and clenched his jaw as Basim glanced from him then to the woman snickering. "The merchant king of Damascus, richest man in the city! Quite exciting, quite dangerous…"

"Good, I hope his men slaughter you!" Maria snapped.

"Quiet, woman!" Altair threatened with a glare over his shoulder.

"Oh, I envy you, Master … well not the bit where you were beaten and stripped of your rank, but I envy everything else, oh except for the terrible things the other Assassins say about you, but yes aside from the failure and the hatred, yes aside from those things I envy you very much." He explained, enthralled, while putting on a little show for her.

Altair was contemplating whether he wanted to jump over the counter and strangle the man to death. _Skinny little fucker… _"I do not care what the others think or say. I'm here to do job. So, I ask again! What can you tell me about the merchant king?" He retorted and shifted in his aggressive stance as Maria attempted to grasp all that was just said.

"Only that he must be a very bad man if Al Mualim has sent you to see him." He glanced over the Assassin's shoulder again to see the woman upon the couch. "He keeps to his own kind, wrapped in the finery of the city's noble district. A busy man, always up to something … you should look about near Saladin's citadel, it is a popular meeting place and has proved a reliable source of loose tongues in the past."

"Good." He replied harshly and directly strode toward the exit, as he passed her she winced away from him.

As the door shut with a slight slam, Maria sighed and gazed at the man behind the counter whom never took his dark eyes off her. "He will kill him then?" she asked tentatively. Abu'l Nuqoudwas a man Robert had mentioned once and she suspected he was one of them, a Templar.

"Of course… the one thing he does best…" Basim replied and placed a clay pot upon a shelf. Maria rose from the couch as her leg ached, among other things. "Do you want something to eat or drink, love?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "Yes please!"

The man chuckled as she leaned against the counter and gazed about the room, which appeared identical to the last bureau. "What is his problem anyway?" she asked and felt quite comfortable with this man as she could feel the longing he had toward her.

"Who, Altair?" He replied and poured a glass of water for her.

"Is that his name?" she responded and sipped the water. "He is a bastard." However, she liked the way his name was pronounced, it sounded strong and rare, as she had never heard such a name before.

The rafik chuckled again. "Yes, well I don't really blame him…"

Her head snapped up with a scowl. "Why not! He is rude and uncouth and … a horrible man."

"He wasn't always like that." He explained and gazed at her.

"What do you mean?" She asked gently, in such wonder.

"Well, it is not my place to say," he mumbled, "but he was always a gifted killer, best in our garrison actually."

Maria thought about this with an inwardly cocked eyebrow, intrigued and partially impressed. "Well, it seems I'm going to have to be with him for a while, perhaps some information may be useful to cope with him." She added, nearly flirtingly to make the middle-aged man reveal the secrets.

The man couldn't help himself. "He lost someone… a woman."

This interested her. "How long ago?"

"Years… and he just never was the same after she died." He explained and studied her intelligent expression of thought. This information made her view the Assassin in a slightly different manner, but she still thought he had no reason for treating her so poorly. "He is depressed I would think… besides he hardly ever sleeps and he drinks all the time, but that's all you'll have from me."

Maria said nothing and thought this over as she finished her glass of water. "The bureau is to your benefit, please relax."

She grinned prettily, flashing him her straight white teeth. "Thank you." Then another thought entered her mind. "Do you perhaps have anything I could wear?"

His head snapped up. "Yes, actually. Before this building became a bureau we found lost belongings, so you might find a dress or something in the back room dresser." He explained.

"Thank you." She replied gently. "You are a very sweet man." She thanked as he grinned at the stunning beauty.


End file.
